Iconic Artist, French painter Henri Rousseau was a post impressionist painter who was a self taught genius. His famous painting, The Football Players in 1908, captured sports as it was evolving, in a whimsical almost unrealistic manner.
We talked about Jim Thorpe and his incredible athleticism. His childhood experiences led him to become the greatest athlete. His parents were both part Native American, of Sac and Fox tribe. He grew up in Oklahoma, when Native Americans were pushed into Oklahoma by European settlers.
His twin brother died, his mother died, and his father died. Jim turned to sports. He was coached by Pop Warner, playing track and field, football and baseball.
In 1912, Jim Thorpe found himself at the Olympics. He was not expected to beat his European counterparts. Jim Thorpe blew the pentathlon and decathlon out of the water and won gold. He performed his last race, the 1500 meters, wearing mismatched shoes. Someone stole his shoes. He found one shoe in the trash can, another in a locker. One was too big, the other too small. Despite not having his best shoes on, Jim Thorpe won gold. When the king of Sweden told him that he was the greatest athlete in the world, he simply responded “Thanks King.”
The controversy came 196 days after the 1912 Olympics. The committee accused Jim of violating amateurism rules. In 1909-10, Jim played minor league baseball, earning $35. He personally did not keep the money, the State did. Because of his “professional” prior experience, the Olympic committee took away his gold medals. Many people have asked, had he been white, would this have happened?
Learn more about Jim by watching a bio linked to his photo above. Best hour you could spend learning about a strong man overcoming so many obstacles and downturns to become the greatest.
Check out our art pieces! Share yours with us by sending your pictures.
Becca Meyers, a Paralympic gold medalist who is blind and deaf, withdrew from the Paralympics this year. Because of Covid restrictions, she could not bring her mother with her, who is her caretaker. Without accommodations for her disability, she could not participate. We have to do better than this. So many like Becca Meyers are unable to participate in activities we love so much, because of their limitations.
Guest Speaker Crystal Christopher, who has cerebral palsy, spoke about her athletic experiences in adaptive sports. She placed nationally and was invited to participate in the Paralympics. Crystal shared about how fantastic it was to compete in adaptive sports. She was able to excel, become physically and mentally stronger, and encouraged by her friends and competitors. Crystal has also recently graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Communications and still is a sports enthusiast.
Guest Speaker Lauren Rose talked about how one moment changed her life forever. Lauren was spontaneously practicing her wedding dance with her then fiance, now husband. She was in her living room, and as she went up to do her move, she landed in the worst way. Lauren broke multiple bones in her left leg, which caused three surgeries and weeks of hospitalization. Lauren has been told multiple times she will never run again. Despite the worst diagnosis by doctors, she keeps pushing and is inspired by Paralympians who overcome similar experiences to keep competing.
Guest Speaker Dan Cohen, a state ranked gymnast who competed in gymnastics since he was a very young kid, talked about the "twisties."
He shared about being trained by Olympic medalists who pushed him to excel more than he imagined. Competition influenced him and impacted his personality today, pushing him to always do his best at whatever he practices.
We always love your comments and questions. Please share your thoughts about these stories with us. See you at our next event in October!
This was an incredible, in person event. I learned so much about Jim Thorpe. His story has inspired me in times of darkness. I loved hearing from Crystal about her adaptive sports competitions. So grateful to have our amazing speakers.
Thank you for providing these inspirational stories!
We are so glad that you found these stories inspirational. We learned so much from our guest speakers and are honored to be involved with their journeys.
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Lauren’s story is so relatable – being a young woman and having your goals and dreams crushed in one moment is very mentally challenging to deal with. I really appreciated hearing about her honest physical experience during her honeymoon travels. Injuries affect us so much more than just the physical aspect. Thank you for speaking on this and sharing about the reality for many of us!
Amazing event! Amazing guest speakers! It’s incredible how art and sports can tied together. Athletes have such an artistic way they approach the sport they participate in and its truly exciting to see how it all comes together!!